The American University diving team is looking to make a splash in the 2024-2025 season, bolstered by the addition of two new divers.
Coached by John Barry, the team is led by senior and captain Griffin Batt, followed by juniors Maggie Fanning and Peyton Thurman. The team is rounded up with freshmen Sean Memon and Gray Miller.
“It’s a very tight-knit community,” Batt, a senior from Denver, said. “It’s a small team and you get to know each other quickly through practice.”
The team, made up of just five athletes, does not limit their goals for success, said Fanning, a junior from Chicago.
“Being in a small group allows us to get more reps and individual attention,” Fanning said. “I think it allows us to be more productive and form stronger bonds with each other.”
Fanning transferred in from Case Western Reserve University her sophomore year. She earned three second-place finishes on the one-meter dive in 2023.
“The main reason I chose American was because of John [Barry],” Fanning said. “His coaching styles and the way he builds relationships with his divers drew me in.”
The team’s first meet is the Potomac Relays on Sept. 27 at the Reeves Aquatic Center. AU divers will compete against those from Georgetown, George Mason, Howard, Mary Washington and Mount St. Mary’s.
“We haven’t been in training for too long and there will always be jitters at the first meet,” Batt said. “But we’ve been working real hard. Speaking for myself, I feel pretty good.”
Barry echoed a similar sentiment just ahead of the first meet.
“We spend the first few weeks reacquainting ourselves with everything,” Barry said. “I talked to the Georgetown coach the other day. Everyone’s just getting back into the rhythm of things.”
Barry, or JB as the team calls him, is entering his 18th year as the coach of the diving team. He has worked with divers such as Melissa Parker, who won ECAC Female Diver of the Meet as a freshman and holds three Academic All-Patriot League honors. Barry has been involved with diving since the age of seven.
“I started coaching here when I was a much younger man,” Barry said. “I feel like I’ve grown by finding divers who are going to challenge me.”
Barry’s influence in the world of diving has led to multiple athletic commits. Memon, a freshman from Arlington, Virginia, said the only reason he knew about AU was because of Barry. Other divers, like freshman Miller from Outer Banks, N.C., targeted AU because of its location in the capital.
“I’ve grown a lot since I’ve been here but the divers keep me young,” Barry said. “It’s an incredibly nice business card to be the coach here and to interact with these athletes.”
This article was edited by Penelope Jennings, Delaney Hoke and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Sydney Kornmeyer and Ella Rousseau.
